
This week I’ve continued to have some discussions with a friend about God and who I believe he is. In doing so I’ve been looking up passages, sermons, websites etc… that describe God’s character. Many of these parts of his character I believe to be true without even thinking. Belief in God as described below is like breathing to me. That of course is what Faith is.
I have spent a bit of time looking up those big ‘omni’ words that I was taught years ago that are used to describe God. Thought I’d include a summary of what I came up with in discussions with my friend. This is how I see God’s character:
His Omnipresence – God is everywhere both in Heaven and Earth at the same time, we cannot escape him nor can we fathom how this is possible. Our brains are so finite that we cannot fully picture this as possible but I believe it to be true. (Jeremiah 23: 23-24, Deuteronomy 4:39, 1 Kings 8:27, Psalm 139, Prov 15:3)
His Omnipotence – he is all powerful. He can do anything that he likes but he cannot lie (Titus 1:2) or be tempted by evil (James 1:13). (Jeremiah 32:17, Isaiah 40:25-26, Psalm 115:3, Job 42:2, Rev 1:8, Luke 1:37)
His Omniscience – he is all knowing. He knows our thoughts before we think them, he knows the end of the world and he knows everything about us (Psalm 139). (Psalm 147:5, Proverbs 5:21, Matthew 6:31-32, Isaiah 65:24)
I also believe God to be eternal, faithful, good, holy, immutable, sovereign, long-suffering, loving, transcendent, wise, self-sufficient, self-existent and more.
I think many people get mad at God because they can’t understand why he would allow such suffering in the world. I have to admit that I’ve been mad at God too, actually he cops the worst of my attitude when I’m in a foul mood and things don’t go my way. Bit unfair on God I think. I don’t have the answer as to why God allows suffering in the world but I do not believe that he causes suffering, it doesn’t fit into his character. Instead he allows free-will and in doing that sin came into the world way back when Adam didn’t know what naked meant. I believe that sin effects everything, including nature and nothing will be perfect until Jesus returns and this world ends. In the meantime, God is faithful, good, loving, comforting and is looking after us even when it doesn’t feel that way. To me, believing that is a very big part of faith.
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Tags: character, Friday Focus, God
Filed under: All Sorts of Things, Deeper Thoughts, Friday Focus